Substrate Processing Apparatus and Method of Manufacturing Semiconductor Device

Abstract

Described herein is a substrate processing technique of preventing particle generation while lowering an inner pressure of a nozzle and improving a film thickness uniformity. According to one aspect thereof, a substrate processing apparatus includes a boat for supporting substrates; an inner tube surrounding the boat and provided with an exhaust hole through which a gas is exhausted along a direction orthogonal to an arrangement direction of the substrates; a mixing structure for generating a mixed gas for processing the substrates; and a nozzle installed apart from an inner lateral surface of the inner tube and through which the mixed gas supplied from the mixing structure is discharged into the inner tube via discharge holes arranged at the nozzle along the arrangement direction of the substrates. A discharge direction of each of the discharge holes is not toward the boat but toward the inner lateral surface of the inner tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
 an inner tube installed so as to surround a boat and provided with an exhaust hole through which a gas is exhausted along a direction orthogonal to an arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates in the boat;   a mixing structure configured to generate a mixed gas by mixing a plurality of gases for processing the plurality of substrates, wherein the plurality of gases react with each other at an inner temperature of the inner tube; and   a nozzle installed apart from an inner lateral surface of the inner tube and through which the mixed gas supplied from the mixing structure is discharged into the inner tube via a plurality of discharge holes arranged at the nozzle along the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates,   wherein a discharge direction of each of the plurality of discharge holes is not toward the boat but toward the inner lateral surface of the inner tube.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an interval of the plurality of discharge holes is different from an arrangement interval of the plurality of substrates, and
 wherein the discharge direction of each of the plurality of discharge holes is substantially orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates.   
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a buffer structure protruding outward from the inner lateral surface of the inner tube,   wherein the nozzle is provided in the buffer structure,   the discharge direction of each of the plurality of discharge holes is toward an inner lateral surface of the buffer structure, and   the mixed gas is discharged into the buffer structure via the plurality of discharge holes.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an interval of the plurality of discharge holes is set to be gradually narrowed from an upstream end toward a downstream end of the nozzle in a gas flow direction. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein
 an arrangement interval of the plurality of substrates is set to be constant, and   a maximum interval of the plurality of discharge holes is set to be greater than the arrangement interval of the plurality of substrates.   
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each of the plurality of discharge holes or an interval of the plurality of discharge holes is set such that an amount of the mixed gas supplied per unit volume of each of the plurality of substrates is same along the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates in the inner tube. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the diameter of each of the plurality of discharge holes is set to be gradually increased from an upstream end toward a downstream end of the nozzle in a gas flow direction. 
     
     
         8 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of zones are provided by dividing a substrate arrangement region in the inner tube along the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates, and a plurality of nozzles comprising the nozzle are provided respectively for the plurality of zones. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein a discharge direction of each of a plurality of discharge holes of each of the plurality of nozzles is not toward the boat but toward the inner lateral surface of the inner tube such that the mixed gas discharged through a nozzle among the plurality of nozzles does not collide with other nozzles among the plurality of nozzles. 
     
     
         10 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of substrates are arranged along a vertical direction,
 a nozzle among the plurality of nozzles located corresponding to a lowermost zone of the plurality of zones in the substrate arrangement region is configured as a return nozzle, and   a discharge direction of each of the plurality of discharge holes of the return nozzle is radially outward from a center of each of the plurality of substrates.   
     
     
         11 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of substrates are arranged along a vertical direction,
 the plurality of nozzles comprise: a lowermost nozzle located corresponding to a lowermost zone of the plurality of zones in the substrate arrangement region; and one or more nozzles located corresponding to one or more zones other than the lowermost zone of the plurality of zones in the substrate arrangement region, and   a plurality of discharge holes of the one or more nozzles are open toward the inner lateral surface of the inner tube such that a space above the lowermost nozzle is interposed therebetween.   
     
     
         12 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a gas supplier comprising:
 a first supply pipe connected to a supply source of a first gas among the plurality of gases; 
 a second supply pipe connected to a supply source of a second gas among the plurality of gases; and 
 a third supply pipe configured to fluidically communicate with the mixing structure and the nozzle, 
   wherein the mixing structure comprises a confluent portion at which the first supply pipe joins the second supply pipe.   
     
     
         13 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising
 a heater configured to heat at least a part of the third supply pipe to a predetermined temperature or higher.   
     
     
         14 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising
 a port provided at an end of the third supply pipe located opposite to the confluent portion and through which the first gas and the second gas merged with each other is introduced into a process furnace,   wherein the heater comprises a port heater configured to heat the port.   
     
     
         15 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein a flow path area of the third supply pipe is equal to or greater than a total flow path area of the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe. 
     
     
         16 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein a plurality of zones are provided by dividing a substrate arrangement region in the inner tube along the arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates,
 a plurality of nozzles comprising the nozzle are provided respectively for the plurality of zones,   a plurality of gas suppliers comprising the gas supplier are provided respectively for the plurality of zones, and   a length of the third supply pipe is set to be long enough for the first gas and the second gas to be uniformly mixed when the first gas and the second gas are supplied through nozzles among the plurality of nozzles corresponding to the first gas and the second gas, respectively.   
     
     
         17 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the inner tube is provided with an end face configured to close an upper end of the inner tube. 
     
     
         18 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, when viewed from above, an angle θ between the discharge direction of each of the plurality of discharge holes and an imaginary line from a center of the nozzle to a center of each of the plurality of substrates is greater than 90° and less than 270° 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the substrate processing apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising:
 (a) arranging a plurality of substrates in a boat along a predetermined arrangement direction;   (b) generating a mixed gas in a mixing structure; and   (c) forming a film on the plurality of substrates by supplying the mixed gas to the boat in an inner tube through a plurality of discharge holes such that the mixed gas is discharged through the plurality of discharge holes toward an inner lateral surface of the inner tube instead of the boat to disperse and further mix the mixed gas.